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Best baby walker brands: Play equipment for babies and toddlers Playpens

The versatile Babydan playpen is popular choice

Playpens provide a convenient security zone for your baby – helping you to nip out of the room safe in the knowledge that your little one won't get up to mischief or in harm's way.

Some babies like the feeling of the playpen being 'their' place to play, nap or simply watch your activities.

Not all babies take well to being hemmed in, though – so you could find you've spent your money on a pricey, space-occupying storage box into which you keep all manner of baby-related items, but not your baby.

If you decide to buy a playpen, do it before your baby is moving around so you can get him or her familiar with it – there'll a better chance of it being a hit rather than a flop later on. For the same reason, if you have the space, go for a pen with a reasonably large floor area.

Types of playpen

As well as traditional wooden playpens, you can get brightly coloured plastic pens, playpens with a folding metal structure surrounded by mesh and travel cots that double up as playpens.

Multifunctional products that double up as barriers to doors and stairs are sometimes referred to as playpens or play yards. These don't normally have a base attached to the side barriers, so it's fairly easy for your baby or older siblings to move them around – meaning they're not as safe.

Wooden playpens

Wooden playpens tend to offer lots of space

Traditional wooden playpens tend to offer lots of space for your baby to play in, and there are plenty of stylish options to choose from to compliment the rest of your decor. On the downside, they're also usually the most expensive option, with prices starting from around £100.

Pros

Arguably the most attractive style of pen, simply because it generally blends in better with other furnishings (remember that even though you'll be able to fold the pen away, once it's up it’s likely to stay up for some time).

Usually has a larger floor area than other pens so more chance of it being popular with your baby.

Cons

Larger floor area also means it takes up more space and can dominate the room.

Tends to be the most expensive type.

Fabric-sided playpens

Soft playpens are a more compact choice for parents with limited space at home. Prices start from around £60.

Pros

Wipe-clean and easy to maintain.

Tends to be the least expensive type of 'permanent' pen.

Cons

Can be a garish-looking piece of equipment to have semi-permanently up in your home.

No support to help your baby pull up from a sitting position.

A travel cot can double up as a playpen

Travel cots

A travel cot can handily double up as a playpen for your baby – making it a cost-effective choice, though travel cots usually offer less space than a standard playpen. Our travel cots buying guide has more information on this option.

Pros

Cot or playpen – you choose what suits you when you need it.

Can be folded for storage.

One of the cheapest options.

Cons

These have mesh sides, which your baby can’t see through as easily as bars, so may be less appealing.

Lack of bars also means less support for pulling up from sitting, though some may have grab handles.

Playpen floor space tends to be limited.

Playpen safety

As with any piece of baby equipment, you'll need to exercise care and caution when using a playpen. We've got some safety dos and don'ts.

Do:

buy a playpen with the BS EN 12227:1997 safety mark

regularly check the pen for holes in the sides or in the floor padding

keep the playpen clean.

Don't:

leave your child unattended in the pen unless absolutely necessary

put anything in the playpen that your baby can use as a lever or step to climb out